Carissa Moore Wins The Roxy Pro Gold Coast

Carissa Moore Wins The Roxy Pro Gold Coast

In what can only be called a changing of the guard, Carissa Moore has just won the Roxy Pro Gold Coast at Snapper Rocks. It was a thrilling finale to a breakthrough day for womens surfing. Standouts throughout the event, both Carissa and Tyler upped their performance to levels never before seen in a womens contest.

It wasn’t all surfing either—Carissa channeled her inner Slater and utilized priority to stuff Tyler Wright in what was sure to have been a 10-point ride. The drop in seemed to have caught everyone off guard. Would Tyler’s barrel count or was she going to get an interference? Both spectators and the beach commentary crew were baffled. Matter of fact, everyone was baffled.

Except Kelly Slater.

The 10X World Champ and cut-throat competitor knew that the rules had changed and Wright would get points as she didn’t interfere with Carissa, she just got kegged before getting stuffed. The drop in was actually a perfect symbol of the anarchy that is a free surf at Snapper.

“Wow I’m just had a really, really good time out there. I think if I didn’t drop in on her in that barrel I wouldn’t have won!” said the teenager from the winner’s podium. She then turned to Tyler Wright and said, “Sorry I had to do that.” Tyler was a good sport and congratulated Carissa

Beneath that cute smile lies a merciless competitor—just like Kelly Slater. That said, it wasn’t only Carissa and Tyler doing the shredding. Girls like Laura Enever and Sally Fitzgibbons showed they are more than pretty faces as they took down womens tour veterans like Stephanie Gilmore and Chelsea Hedges.

Stay tuned for photos and video of the “best day ever” in womens surfing…

SNAPPER ROCKS, Queensland/Australia (Tuesday, March 8, 2011) – Carissa Moore (HAW), 18, has taken out the opening event of the 2011 ASP Women’s World Title season, the Roxy Pro Gold Coast presented by Land Rover, in an electric final over Tyler Wright (AUS), 16.

The primary venue of Snapper Rocks produced the goods for the final day of women’s competition, as the world’s best female surfers collectively announced a new standard of high-performance surfing. Moore proved the form surfer of the event, consistently notching the highest scores of the round and surfing with unparalleled speed, power and progression.

“It’s been an amazing finish to the event and the waves were so good for us today,” Moore said. “If I didn’t have priority and hadn’t dropped in on Tyler (Wright) on that wave, then she probably would have gotten the score and won the heat. It’s been an incredible event for me and I’m excited for the year ahead.”

The young Hawaiian’s victory today, her fourth elite win of her career, can be taken as a fierce declaration of her plans for the year, clearly eyeing her maiden ASP Women’s World Title.

“It’s still early in the season but the ASP Women’s World Title is definitely a goal,” Moore said. “I’m just happy to be surfing the way I am and getting results. I’m riding a Mayhem Matt Biolos shape. It’s a 5’9” and I love it, it’s kind of a magic board, so I’m stoked. Luckily I have a couple just like it so I’m trying to take care of them.”

Now sitting in the driver’s seat in the hunt for the 2011 ASP Women’s World Title, Moore looks towards the next event and pushing the now unbridled progression of women’s surfing. “All the girls are surfing amazing and we really saw it at this event,” Moore said. “It’s going to be an exciting year on tour. I just can’t wait to see what happens.”

Wright, who is into her first full year as an ASP Women’s World Title campaigner, blew people away with her performances throughout the Roxy Pro Gold Coast, and came up just shy of taking down the event.

“In every heat I think you can learn something, pull something out of it that’s positive,” Wright said. “I won’t change too much, I’ll do my own thing and hopefully I can catch a couple of waves. We’ve got snapper with only one other person out and I love this wave. Congrats to Carissa (Moore) – she surfed amazing. It was incredible to be out there in waves like that and I can’t wait for the rest of the season.”

Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), 20, 2010 ASP Women’s World Runner-Up, was part of the select few to consistently break the boundaries of women’s surfing at the event, but the young natural-footer couldn’t stop a rampaging Moore in their Semifinal clash.

“It’s always disappointing coming up short in a contest,” Fitzgibbons said. “I’m happy with the way I’m surfing, but it just didn’t go my way in the Semifinals. It’s been a great off season though. I had a month at home and you can’t complain about that. Just have to buckle down and focus on the next one.”

Laura Enever (AUS), 19, 2011 ASP Top 17 rookie, had a sensational run at the Roxy Pro Gold Coast, taking down a bevy of high-profile names before falling to Wright in the Semifinals. For her efforts, Enever finished Equal 3rd in her first event as an ASP Women’s World Title campaigner.

“Being in the water with these girls has been amazing,” Enever said. “I’m just happy to make the Semifinals in my first World Tour event. It’s going to be an exciting year and I can’t wait to have fun around the world.”

Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 23, reigning four-time ASP Women’s World Champion, has consistently held the ASP Women’s No. 1 position since August 2008. However, the iconic natural-footer was unable to overtake a rampaging Enever in her Quarterfinal bout.

“Laura (Enever) and I went out with different game plans for that heat and hers obviously paid off,” Gilmore said. “It’s disappointing for sure, but she was surfing really well and things worked out for her. For me, this event was about trying to find my feet and I think I did a little bit. Hopefully I can recover a bit more between now and the next event.”

The next stop on the 2011 ASP Women’s World Title season will be the Rip Curl Women’s Pro Bells Beach in Victoria from April 19 – 25, 2011. For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com